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What is SEO (Search Engine Optimization)?SEO is improving the volume and quality of traffic to a web site or page from the search engines using natural organic and algorithmic search results (SERPs).

SEO is actually a component of SEM (Search Engine Marketing). Which encompasses many avenues with which to promote a web site or page.If you have come here looking for SEO help, you have found a blog that can help you. There is much information here to be held and please feel free to comment anytime...Even with a question.

July 3, 2007

I have said it before, Google has always got a double standard somewhere. Today in my email is another. Apparently, Selina & Jos, of the Search Quality Team, Dublin posted yesterday morning the recipe for a successful doorway page. Now they didn't call it a doorway page, but I read it and looks the same to me especially without the proper definition and explanation given by the Google Blog.

Doorway pages are web pages that are created for spamdexing, this is, for spamming the index of a search engine by inserting results for particular phrases with the purpose of sending you to a different page. They are also known as bridge pages, portal pages, zebra pages (a humorous arbitrary coinage by Jill Whalen of High Rankings Advisor), jump pages, gateway pages, entry pages and by other names. Doorway pages that redirect visitors without their knowledge use some form of cloaking.

Since Wiki has no definition for "startpages" we'll use the description from the geniuses at Google in their post.

What's a startpage?Basically, it's a webpage with a lot of links about a specific topic. The startpages are hosted on a startpage domain and each separate startpage is maintained by an individual webmaster. The links on startpages are usually ordered by categories related to the topic of the page. Besides hyperlinks, startpages often contain text, animations and pictures. Startpages are quite unique to the Dutch market, and offer a simple interface for novice users to create their own web portals, with a unique approach to user-generated content.

As a search engine, we love to have useful and diverse pages showing up in the search results we present to our users. We thought it would be a good idea to highlight some of the best practices we've seen in creating value-added startpages.

Even if they are not useful, or even a potential spam trap? I cannot believe they approached this topic in blog, without a serious discussion about the spam potential of such pages! People are going to make these pages now, with the small bit of information provided by GOOGLE and then get banned by GOOGLE.

Google is already double dipping in it's "fight against spam" by continuing to allow domain parking with Adsense, even if the domain is severely poor and underdeveloped. They are in fact being sued for this, but continue to allow it still. The argument is that such domains contain"relevant" Adsense campaigns. I don't see an entire page should be allowed to be constructed of ONLY advertising content billing itself as regular content in results is legal, but bloggers are limited to how may ads the cam place on posts or be penalized if not banned....when they actually have content! Where is the logic?

So if you try these start pages, which I strongly advise you do not, then follow good "white hat" technique and use common sense. In my opinion it will still land a penalty.

Check this out!Google bans BMW from search resultsDetailed writeup/analysis of how BMW.DE (Germany) was using doorway pages to presumably enhance their rankings in Google. The big "G" found out and gave 'em the "death penalty ” - dropping their Page Rank to zero and dropping 'em from search results. Being "the ultimate driving machine" doesn't matter to Google if you are naughty.

2
Comments:

Anonymous
said...

a startpage comes close to a directory and a portal, but is just in between ... are you now saying that dmoz is also a doorway page? before responding have a look at: http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Astartpagina.nl&num=100 (the dutch starting page, until nov 2005 larger than Google in the dutch market) and http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Ajouwpagina.nl&num=100 (dutch freehost) and http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Astartlap.com&num=100 (one of the largest sites in hungary). now try to read the excellent blog post again, maybe you will find your answer :)

No I think the Google Techno Bloggers did a very nice job of under explaing a vastly deep subject just enough to get alot of sites banned.

In essence what they reported looks very much like a doorway page. DMOZ is a directory and bills itself as such, thus a big difference. The dutch are very sucessful with these "startpages", but I think it takes care to create one without setting off Google's spam meter, and the blog was terribly written. Many webmasters will read that and make doorway pages.

Had Google distinguished them properly then I would not be so concerned.

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